"..hardware and software systems needed to clear the way for wireless networks made up of thousands or even millions of sensors. These networks will observe just about everything, including traffic, weather, seismic activity, the movements of troops on battlefields, and the stresses on buildings and bridges—all on a far finer scale than has been possible before." Taken from The Top 10 Emerging Technologies on MIT's technology review. Cool term award: German word : "gründlich” means "you do it really right.” Also don't miss the article on Science Fiction and Smart Mobs which mentions japan's "thumb tribes", Warren Ellis' book "Global Frequency", and Howard Rhinegold's book "Smart Mobs".

Bloggers and code monkeys check out: Amy's wonderPortal .05 Beta at her site Domesticat.net that uses PHP script to help folks running multiple global contributors to log posts in real time. She gets my "development of useful software" Whuffie of the day. (I don't have a need for the script nor do I know if it works- I just like people who make the internet easier to use.)

I created a little Flash tribute to the crew of the STS 107 who completed thier final mission the other day. The track is from a member of the The Hooters Eric Bazilian. Normal Whuffie talk will resume soon. Until then maybe we can dare to reach beyond our grasp.

The same vibe I received as a child from The Martian Chronicles (Ray Bradbury 1950); futuristic horror combined with social drama, is what I felt when I saw the shattered helmet that lay in a farmers field. Another nudge from reality reminding me that we are living in the future. The shakey video footage of carnage was strangly reminiscent of 911. I can only imagine the horror of families waiting to see thier children or brothers, or sisters arrival from an ellite 16 day adventure into a world unknown to most but made familiar by the work and lives of those who dare to explore. No shuttle, in it's triumph of technology, just pieces, streaking silently through the sky. I saw a comment from a farmer on the local news "We lost one going up," he said "and now one coming down. But we won't quit." Those farmers have wisdom, not about html, and gadgets, but from years fo observation and from the time that comes from a simple life. His words were not at all poetic, or filled wiht eulogy, yet they were the most profound heard yet. A prayer for the familes and thier loss, and a sulute to the crew of STS 107 William McCool, Rick Husband, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon. Thanks for a job well done.